F1 Drivers Could Now Get Suspended For Swearing

Last year the FIA decided it was high time they started cracking down on some of the sailor speak coming out of the mouths of Formula 1 drivers.

Yeah, it's kind of ridiculous, but it was kind of a goofy side story to the 2024 F1 season, and the punishments were not a huge deal, with Max Verstappen for instance having to serve a little community service.

But now, it's getting very serious with news that the FIA is threatening to hand drivers a race ban if they run afoul of the anti-swearing rules too many times.

According to the BBC, the sporting regulations for the upcoming 2025 season have codified the steps toward a driver receiving a hefty penalty for repeated offenses when it comes to swearing or even criticizing the FIA.

Three offenses will now put a driver at risk "for one-month suspension plus a deduction of championship points."

F1 drivers may really want to watch their swearing this year thanks to some new FIA guidelines. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

It doesn't sound like it's an automatic "three-strikes" system, but it sounds like the FIA is certainly giving itself some latitude to dish out some big punishments. I mean, a race ban is a massive deal and a one-month ban? That would ruin a driver or team's entire season from a points perspective.

The BBC reached out to the Grand Prix Drivers Association — which is the drivers' union — which replied that they had "no comment on that matter for the time being."

You can see why they may be taking their time because any comment would likely be critical of the FIA. See the rub here?

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has increasingly tried to restrict what drivers can and can't say, especially as it relates to the FIA, how they operate, and the decisions they make.

That hasn't made him a particularly popular guy, with the BBC quoting one source close to a "top driver" who told them that, "He acts like a dictator," with another source saying that there were plenty of people within the FIA who weren't particularly keen on these new rules.

Well… as if there wasn't enough to look forward to with the F1 season already.

We're still a few weeks away from the season kickoff event on February 18 at London's 02 Arena to celebrate the series' 75th anniversary.